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Meadow Walker‘s cameo in “Fast X” truly incorporates what everyone knew and loved about Paul Walker by exuding humbleness, just one of the many redeeming qualities that exemplified her late father.
Speaking to ET’s Nischelle Turner at the “Fast X” premiere in Rome, the 24-year-old model-turned-actress spoke about the significance of the cameo, how the”Fast” family truly has become her family and how the role came about. On Thursday, Meadow shared a photo of herself captured on a set monitor in a glimpse of her cameo in the Louis Leterrier-directed film.
Meadow was only a year old when her father starred in the first instalment, but it’s not until the penultimate instalment (the franchise is ending with the 11th and final instalment) that she makes her own appearance, albeit low-key, and that’s by design, because that’s how Paul would have wanted it.
“I’ve always thought about honouring my dad [in a “Fast” film] just because it’s such a big part of his life and my life,” Meadow tells ET. “But I was waiting for the right moment. I wanted it to be something super small and simple that was almost like an Easter egg. Like, if you didn’t know who I was, you wouldn’t even notice it. I know that’s what my dad would want. My dad was always humble, very simple. I left my little mark and I can always share that with him.”
Paying homage to Paul in a “Fast” film is something Meadow says she’s thought about for a little bit. When “Fast 9” was filming, Meadow tells ET she spoke to Paul’s best friend, Brandon Birtell, and then eventually spoke with Vin Diesel.
“I was like, ‘I want to do it in a very tasteful way,’” she says. “I think Brandon and Vin collaborated with Universal and we got that perfect role for me.”
And just like that, an actress was born, a sentiment shared by the director about the scene. Meadow had one line in her cameo, and everyone felt she absolutely nailed it.
“I heard Louis, the director, gave me some comment of like seeing an actress be born in a day and all these things,” Meadow says. “And I was like, ‘I don’t know if I did that well.’ But I was honestly very grateful to be in the scene with John [Cena] because he was so patient and so kind, and obviously I was extremely nervous.”
When the “Fast” cast says they’re a family, they mean it. Case in point: Meadow says that, at the height of the pandemic, she moved from New York to Los Angeles to live with “Fast” co-star Jordana Brewster.
“I lived with Jordana when COVID first broke out,” Meadow says. “I flew from New York and I was living with her in L.A. for part of lockdown. And Vin and Jordana were at my wedding so, absolutely, I think the family thing is definitely very real and they really did see me grow up.”
Paul died on Nov. 30, 2013, as a passenger in a single-car crash with friend and driver Roger Rodas in Valencia, California. Meadow was 15 at the time of her father’s tragic crash. He was 40. When Meadow married actor Louis Thornton-Allan in October 2021, it was Diesel who walked Meadow down the aisle.
It’s no surprise, then, why Diesel got emotional and needed a good second to gather himself on what it means to have Meadow officially be part of the “Fast” family with her cameo.
“Everything, everything,” said Diesel when asked what Meadow’s cameo does for his heart. “There wasn’t a day on set that I don’t remind the cast and the crew of the weight, why we need to reach higher, why we need to make this film with integrity. I’m waiting after this premiere to hear Pablo tell me what he always told me after a premiere, which is, ‘Is there a better one in the can?’ which was always the motivation to get to here, to have Meadow here, to have Meadow do a cameo just to honour her father. It’s just another layer, another colour to what I can only describe as destiny.”
“Fast X” hits theatres on May 19.
More From ET:
Meadow Walker Pays Tribute to Late Dad Paul Walker With ‘Fast X’ Cameo
Meadow Walker Remembers Late Dad Paul Walker on His Birthday
Meadow Walker Remembers Dad Paul on 8-Year Anniversary of His Death
